Beloved
by Child-Of-Chaoz
Summary: 1x2,5x2,AU,OOCness: True love never dies, Duo, Heero, and Wufei find out just how deadly it can be...
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** What's mine is mine, what's theirs is theirs. I don't own these characters and would very much not like to be sued.

**Warning**: The prologue hasa lemon in it and some iky violence. Don't kill me if you didn't want to read it. I did warn you.

**Prologue:**

**Old Khushrenada Plantation  
_Present_  
Cape Town, North Carolina**

The man stumbled and fell bruising his knee on the hardwood floor. He stared fearfully at the object he had tripped over and felt the bile rise in the back of his throat. The object was the body of the psychic medium they had hired to cleanse the manor house of its malevolent spirits. The old woman laid sprawled on the floor. Her throat had been ripped out. The full moon from window at the end of the hallway shone on her face, death had twisted it into a grotesque mask. The moon provided the young man with enough light to see by as he desperately regained his feet and race for the main staircase. He came close to falling again; this time over the paint cans and tarps left, piled there, by the workmen renovating this house. He grabbed the hand rail and flew down the steps two at a time. His eyes avoided looking at the body of his wife who hung swinging by her neck from the chandelier over the foyer.

The man made it to the front door and tried frantically to open it, but it wouldn't budge. He heard an evil chuckle behind him and spun around. "No. Please. Don't. Stay away. Nooooooo!"

* * *

**Khushrenada Plantation  
_August 13, 1822 (Past)  
_Cape Town, North Carolina**

The three people in the dining hall were silent as they focused on their evening meal. The clatter of dishes and the rustle of fabric from the house slave's skirt were the only noise, as she rushed from one end of the long sturdy oak table to the other waiting on the master and mistress of the house, and their twenty-five year old son.

"Well, Duo, you've been home from your travels for six months now, and I think it's time you to start learning the family business," the stern man said. "I've been very patient with you, boy, I've tolerated your lengthy education and allowed you to sow your wild oats. Now it is time for you to start contributing to this family," he growled.

"Sir, I have no interest in growing tobacco. I can't even stand the smell of the stuff," Duo said. He wished he could have stayed in Europe, but his father had cut off his allowance forcing him to come home.

"You're a Khushrenada, Duo, and we Khushrenada's have been growing tobacco on this land since the early 1700s! You are going to follow in your ancestors footsteps and I want no arguments! Is that clear, boy?" Khushrenada's face was livid, realizing he had allowed his son too much freedom, but that would change starting today.

"Yes, sir," Duo sighed, trying to placate the man. The two years he had spent in Europe had been the happiest in his life, that was until four months ago when he had met Hiro. He was not going to stay here when the whole world was out there just waiting for him to explore it. He was going to leave with his beautiful lover in September, and travel with him down south for the winter. After that maybe they would visit the orient together.

Treize Khushrenada glared at his son who had a faraway look in his amethyst eyes. "Good. Now stop daydreaming and finish your meal, Son, you're as skinny as a rail," he ordered.

Mrs. Khushrenada gave her son a sympathetic look as he pushed the collard greens around on his plate. Her husband never tolerated wasting good food and she knew how much her Duo despised that particular green vegetable, which was one of Treize's favorites.

"Eat, Duo, don't make me take my strap to you!" Khushrenada growled.

Duo quickly forked the greens into mouth, trying not to gag. He couldn't wait to get out from under his father's thumb. Even if he would be leaving here penniless at least he'd be leaving with the man he loved. After he finished cleaning his plate Duo looked up at his father. "I'm going to take my horse out for some exercise, sir."

"It's going to be dark soon, see that you're back before then. I don't want you injuring that horse by stepping into a gopher hole," he growled. Khushrenada sensed that his son was up to something and he was determined to find out what.

Duo rose to leave. He leaned down and kissed his mother on her cheek, goodbye. As he made it to the doorway his father's voice stopped him cold. "I've invited the Noin's over for Sunday dinner. Their eldest daughter is in need of a husband again; her last one was killed in an unfortunate hunting accident a year ago. She'd make you a good wife, Duo," he said.

"Father, that was her fourth husband in ten years. Don't you find it a bit odd that they all died in freak accidents?" Duo asked.

"God works in mysterious ways, Son, it is not our place to question why he chose to take those poor souls. However, the Widow is a handsome woman and extremely wealthy. She would bring a substantial dowry into this family. I want grandchildren before I die, Duo. I want to die knowing that there is someone to carry on the Khushrenada name."

"Is there anything else, father?"

"No, Duo. Go and enjoy your ride."

* * *

Duo slowed his horse as he approached the small gypsy encampment. He'd come here almost every day for the past four months. The men and the women of the camp greeted him by name, while the children ran up to him as he dismounted. He held onto the horses reins as he listened to the children beg him to tell them about his travels abroad. 

"Stop pestering Duo, he is here to see me. If you're good I might share him with you later," Hiro said, pulling Duo into a hug.

"Oh, Papa, do you promise to allow Duo to tell us about Europe before he leaves?" the oldest child in the group whined. He was Hiro's son. His pretty wife had died giving birth to this child, and the whole clan helped Hiro raise the boy.

"I promise, Oden, but only if Duo wishes to," he smiled. His prussian eyes sparkled with delight as he ruffled the young lad's dark hair.

Duo chuckled as Hiro grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the camp to their secret spot next to the river. Duo tied his horse to a tree and they ducked beneath its low hanging branches then through some bushes and came out on a small clearing, and immediately fell on each other like hungry wolves.

"My lovely Duo, I've missed you so. I hate it when we are apart. I have a hollowness inside me that only you can fill. I love you so," Hiro murmured, between tender kisses.

"Hiro, I love you, too. I only wish that we could leave here this minute, instead of waiting until September. My father is now trying to marry me off to the Black Widow of Caswell county. I shudder at the thought of going anywhere near her. There is much talk that she is a witch," Duo whispered fearfully as he dropped to his knees and started unbuttoning Hiro's breeches.

"Don't worry, my beloved, I will never allow her to bewitch you. I'd kill her if she even dares to look at you funny! You're mine, Duo, and I will never give you up," he said, moaning softly as Duo pulled his cock free of his breeches and deftly unbuttoned the cuffs from around his knees.

Duo stripped Hiro's breeches off as he sucked on his cock. His purple eyes gazed up at the beautiful man who he had come to love with all of his heart and soul. "Will you love me forever and always, Hiro?" he asked, kissing the leaking head and lapping up its delicious juices.

"I will love you throughout eternity, beloved," Hiro moaned. He hauled Duo back up to his feet and started undressing his lover slowly; he enjoyed exposing every inch of that wonderful body. "Beautiful," he murmured and kissed the dusty pink nipple as he dropped his lover's shirt to the ground.

Duo growled with need as his tore at the bindings on the gypsy's large, ruffled shirt. "Look who's talking, my sweet beautiful Hiro."

Soon they were both naked and sinking down onto the cool river bank. They hungrily explored every inch of each other's bodies. Hiro reached behind his Duo's head and untied the ribbon that held his long, silky auburn hair in a braid. The gypsy enjoyed running his fingers through his Duo's thick hair.

Hiro gazed lovingly into Duo's amethyst colored eyes. "No, my love, there has never been anyone more beautiful than you. I love the way your eyes change colors with your moods, and God himself must have designed your lips explicitly for kissing," Hiro said softly, kissing Duo deeply on his full lips to emphasize his point. "Mm, Ambrosia never tasted as sweet."

Duo lay blissfully underneath Hiro's body, and he ran a gentle finger over his lover's perfect lips. How could someone so perfect think that he was beautiful? Duo shook his head in awe as he caressed up and down the man's muscular back, while relishing the warm weight covering him, possessing him. He wanted to be claimed and owned by this man who he loved above all others. "Make love to me, Hiro. I want to feel you plow deep within me and fill me with your seed," he murmured huskily.

"Mm, you want me to sow your fields, my little farm boy," the gypsy chuckled happily as he rubbed a finger over his lover's tight opening, then pushed it inside.

Duo spread his legs and raised his hips to offer himself totally to his lover. "Yes. Oh, yes. Take me, I'm yours, and only yours."

"Forever and always, beloved," Hiro murmured, slipping another finger inside his Duo.

"Throughout time, my love," Duo moaned, pushing against those delicious fingers and raking his nail across Hiro's back. He groaned and arched his body as his lover inserted a third finger and twisted them around inside him. He gazed up at the love of his life with passion filled eyes, he was in heaven and Hiro was his dark angel.

Hiro couldn't hold back any longer, the sight of his lover's wanton body was driving him insane. He coated his cock with the sweet oil that he always carried in his coat pocket. Then he positioned Duo's legs over his shoulders and stared down into the lust filledamethyst eyes that had changed to a deep shade of indigo. "You are my love and my life," he said as he positioned the head of his cock against the small opening, straining hard until he broached the ring of muscles and sunk into his lover's small, hot willing body. It felt almost like a religious experience to Hiro each time he took Duo this way.

The wet grass and pebbles under his back didn't distract Duo from the wonderful feeling of his lover's thickness sliding into his body, filling and completing him. "Oh, so good," he moaned.

The two men were unaware of the pair of cold jealous eyes that watched them angrily from her hiding place in the dense bushes. She had become enamored with the beautiful young Duo Khushrenada and had begged her father to arrange a marriage through the elder Khushrenada for her and his son. This one she just might keep around longer than she did her other husbands all of whom she had married only for their money and not out of desire or love. She felt her loins burn with hot desire as she stared upon the naked body of her Duo.

Her face contorted with hatred as she watched the gypsy's large organ slide in and out of her future husband's tight hole. Her fingernails dug painfully into her palms at the sounds of pleasure issuing from the lips of both men. That filthy gypsy will pay dearly for touching what is to be hers, she would see to it. It was providence that she had spotted her Duo on his horse and followed him here. It was God's will that she should save Duo from the cunning gypsy who had used his remarkable beauty to blind her Duo from seeing the evil demon hidden inside. All gypsies are in league with Satan, they were all sinners from the oldest to the youngest. Duo was too innocent and naive to know this. He would make her an obedient husband, someone she could shape to her will.

Lucrezia felt a dampness between her legs wetting her undergarments as she lustfully watched Duo wrap his long legs around thelarger man's back and pulled him in deeper, arching his back off the ground as his milky white seed spilled from his penis. The gypsy's powerful arms pulled Duo's legs tighter around his body and he ground his hip into the beauty's creamy ass forcing his organ in as far as it would go. Hiro came with a roar, his body jerking in time with his shooting cock as he filled his lover with his seed.

They fell exhaustedly into each other's arms into sweet sated bliss. After twenty minutes Duo interrupted their peaceful silence. "It will be dusk in less than an hour, Hiro. I promised my father that I'd be back before then. Can you apologize to the little ones and your son? Tell them that I'll be back tomorrow to tell them stories to their hearts content," he said. Rising he stepped into the river to clean the sticky semen from his body.

Two pairs of appreciative eyes watched him as he sloshed water over his flat stomach and long, toned legs. Duo's beautiful round ass was facing Hiro and he wanted to sink back in between those firm cheeks and lose himself inside this man. He slowly rose and wadded out into the river, pulling Duo back into his arms. "I will see if we can leave before September. It tears my heart in two every time you leave me."

"I don't ever want to leave you, Hiro. I would love to spend the night sleeping in your arms, but if my father were ever to suspect … I'm afraid of what he would do," Duo replied sadly, stepping out of the river he pulled his clothes back on over his wet skin.

Hiro watched silently as his lover made his way back to his horse. He had never known such love in all of his twenty-nine years.

* * *

**Khushrenada Plantation**

**_1822 (Past)_  
Sunday Evening **

"Treize, you have a fine looking lad there. Although, he's short and a little thin, but no worry my Lucrezia's cooking will put some meat on his bones. It's about time the lad settles down and starts giving you and your wife some fine grandchildren," Edward Noin rambled, sipping on a glass of port. It was a joke of course and Khushrenada laughed. Ladies of quality did not cook; they let the slaves do that type of work.

The women had withdrawn to the sitting room as the men discussed the marriage arrangements for their children in the study.

Duo leaned against the mantel feeling like a piece of meat as the two men arranged the rest of his life for him.

"I expect a larger than normal dowry, Edward. Your Lucrezia is no longer a virgin, and she is getting up there in age. I'll admit that I am concerned that she only bore one child out of her four previous marriages," Khushrenada said.

"Little Edward is proof that my Lucrezia isn't barren, it isn't her fault she married men who were. I will agree with you on her age. Thirty-one years is rather old, but she still has a lot of childbearing years left. What about your son? How are his teeth? Does he have any health problems?"

"My son is in excellent health. Duo, show Edward your teeth," Khushrenada ordered.

Duo slowly walked over to Mr. Noin's chair and opened his mouth. The portly man grabbed his jaw and pulled down his lip with his thumb, studying Duo's perfect teeth and gums.

"Edward, have you ever seen a set of whiter or straighter teeth?" Khushrenada asked with pride.

"No, I haven't. Your lad is certainly attractive, I'm surprised that he isn't already taken," Mr. Noin replied, releasing Duo.

"I wanted him to get an education first and travel. It's important for a young man to get the wanderlust out of his system before he settles down. Duo has done that and is now more than happy to marry and raise a large family. Isn't that right, boy?" Treize asked his son who had gone back to stand beside the mantel.

"Yes, father."

"Very well, Treize, I will draw up my offer tomorrow. We'll want to get our children married as soon as possible. How does the first Sunday in September sound to you?" Mr. Noin asked.

"Fine, Edward," Khushrenada said happily. Even without the large dowry, he wanted Duo to marry the wealthy widow. His son would by law take over his wife's assets. Then there was the woman herself, she would tame his son of his wild ways. Yes, this was the best arrangement for all of them.

"Father, if you don't need me anymore. I think I shall retire for the night," Duo said. He was planning to sneak out to see Hiro tonight.

"Of course, son. Don't forget to say goodnight to your mother and Mrs. Noin, and your future wife," Khushrenada replied.

"Yes, sir. Goodnight, Mr. Noin," he said, heading out of the room.

After he said his goodnights to the women, he climbed the main staircase up to the first floor landing then headed down the hallway and climbed a small set of stairs up to the third floor where his rooms were. Duo wanted to get the picture books that he had promised to show the young gypsy children.

Duo crept back downstairs by way of the servant's staircase and out the back door of the manor. He didn't notice that he was being watched.

Duo contentedly snuggled up against his lover's nude body. It was pleasant inside Hiro's small wagon. It smelled of cinnamon and spices. He looked forward to spending many long nights inside making love to Hiro as they traveled together. He was just drifting off to sleep when the sound of horse hooves and shouting brought him back to full consciousness.

Hiro shot upright, he was reaching for his knives when the back door of the wagon was yanked open and rough hands pulled the two young men out. They were dragged struggling over to the large campfire.

Duo stared in shock at the mob of angry men holding the gypsy clan at gunpoint. Then his eyes locked with those of his father, and his world dropped out from under him.

Treize Khushrenada swung down from his horse and walked over to his trembling son who was held firmly by two of his neighbors. He backhanded his son across his face. "Sinner! I will take care of you at home, Duo!" he snarled. "Find a blanket and cover up his nakedness," Khushrenada ordered.

Hiro was struggling wildly; he wanted to kill the man for hitting his lover. It took four men to hold him.

Khushrenada walked over to the struggling young gypsy. He stared contemptuously at the man's naked body marked with signs of passion. The young man was beautiful; it was no wonder he had been able to lure his son into his evil clutches. "Devil's spawn, you shall pay dearly for touching my son! Tie the _heathen_ to that tree," Khushrenada barked and grabbed a horsewhip from off his saddle.

"Father, NO! DON'T!" Duo shouted, struggling with the two larger men holding him, he had been wrapped in a blanket so tightly that he wasn't able to move his arms.

"Duo, this devil has beguiled you! You shall watch him punished for it! I shall beat him back to hell where he belongs!"

"Please, Father. Don't hurt him," Duo begged as he watched his lover tied to a tree with his back and buttocks exposed the angry men. "I'll do anything that you say, please, just let him go."

Khushrenada stared thoughtfully at his only child's tear stained face. The future of the Khushrenada bloodline rested in his son's loins. "Very well, Duo, I won't touch him. However, you will be punished severely for sinning, and for your sake you'd better pray that the Noin's still want you for a son-in-law," he said, dropping the whip. "Zechs, take my son home. I will join you there as soon as we run these gypsies out of our area."

Duo sighed, calming down, he knew his father would beat him when he got home, but at least Hiro will be all right. He gazed one final time upon his lover as tears of regret and anguish streamed from his eyes. Pulling the blanket around himself Duo mounted his horse and followed his father's friend back toward the manor house.

Treize watched as his son's horse disappeared into the night before bending to pick up the whip. He waited until he was sure that no sound would reach his son's ears. The other men grinned wickedly as he brought the whip down with all of his might across the gypsy's smooth back.

Hiro shrieked as the whip flayed the skin off his back. Young children and women began crying hysterically as the whip was brought down again and again. They pleaded and begged Khushrenada to let Hiro go. A pretty and young gypsy woman shielded Hiro's eight year old son's face from seeing the beating. She took Oden to the edge of the camp and held his shaking and crying body against hers. The mob of men kept their guns trained on the gypsies as the whipping continued it didn't stop until every inch of skin on the young man's back had been torn to shreds. Blood pooled in the dirt around Hiro's bare feet.

"Cut him down," Treize ordered as he walked over to a woodpile and picked up an ax then motioned for his neighbors to drag the semiconscious young man over to the chopping block. "Lay his hand on the block," he ordered. "Gypsy, this is what we do to heathens that touch our sons and daughters. You will never touch another man's son again."

Hiro struggled weakly as his hand was laid upon the wood block. "Duo, my Duo," he murmured, over and over. He was too weak to cry out as the ax blade cut through his flesh and bone.

Hiro watched in a fog as his hand laid there next to his bleeding stump, he watched as Duo's father picked up his severed hand and tossed it into the fire. He realized then that he was dying. The wounds on his back and now the blood spilling out of his wrist were too severe for his body to handle. _Duo, beloved, I swear on all that I hold most dear that I will never stop looking for you. Death will not be enough to keep us apart. We shall be together again, forever and always_,he prayed silently. Then stared up at the elder Khushrenada and started to chant in the ancient language of his people.

Several of the gypsies around the campfire backed away from fear. No one in centuries had dared to cast a curse such an unmerciful curse upon another human.

Treize noticed the fear in all the gypsies as they backed away from their dying kin. "What is he saying? Why are you afraid?" he asked as the final word left Hiro's mouth and he smiled up at the old man. "You can never keep Duo and I apart. Our love is for eternity," he said, dying with a blissful smile on his radiant face.

An ancient gypsy woman stepped forward, covering Hiro's body with her shawl. She looked upon Khushrenada and said, "You have been cursed man. Hiro has had his revenge on you. Never again will your soul know true happiness. Not in this lifetime or any other. All that you hold the dearest will be destroyed. Every time you find love -- you will lose it. The only way the curse can be lifted is for Hiro to be reunited with his beloved."

Treize's eyes grew wide with fear. "Never! I will send my son away from here, someplace where he can never be found. Spirits cannot cross the ocean, I will send Duo to England," he exclaimed. He was no fool, he believed in the powers that he could not see. His father had told him of the powers of the gypsies.

Khushrenada ran to his horse and leapt upon its back, he must get back to his son. He looked up at the crescent moon. According to his father, spirits only had the power to kill during the full moon. He knew that for the gypsy to claim his son for eternity he would have to kill him. Sending his son away was the only hope he had of protecting him.

Oden's sad prussian eyes watched the horse race across the field vanishing into the darkness. His eight year old heart had learned to hate this evening. When he is old enough he would kill these men as cruelly as they had killed his father.

**-TBC…..**

**A/N**: First chapter of another story done……I couldn't help it honest, the bunny……hopping…….bit me………hand (_cough_) Anyways, yes, Khushrenada is Duo's father who just can't be his father because he's a bad bad man, and……I'll stop now. You know I'm still buzzing from this chapter. I think I'm a little hyper. Shoot me now, that way I won't know what happened in my hallucinated hyper rage of fanfiction doom. Or not, because if anything, I'm kinda attached to my skin. Well, hope you enjoyed and please review! Pleasepleasepleaseplease……(_pathetic I know; blame it on……on……something, because my brain is seeing dancing Duo's and I can't figure out why_).


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: What's mine is mine, what's theirs is theirs. I don't own these characters and would very much not like to be sued.

**!WARNING! NOT FOR THE KIDDIES!**

**Chapter One:**

**Preventer Headquarters  
Present Day**

"Well that certainly is the most beautiful tie I have ever seen," Wufei Chang choked out from behind his desk.

Duo closed the door behind him as he entered Wufei's office. He locked the door quietly. He held up the simple blue tie and shrugged, "You think?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I only wear it because my lover gave it to me, and he is extremely sensitive."

Wufei stood and walked around the desk. "Is that right?"

Duo smiled slightly and then deliberately drew in his lush lower lip, trapped it between his teeth and then let it slowly slide out again. He could see Wufei's reaction to that bit of seduction. Wufei was a tall, muscular man, and any sign of excitement was quickly apparent.

"Yeah it is, he is _very_ sensitive."

Wufei pounced on his agent and drew him tight into an embrace, "You drive me crazy, Duo," he groaned before he devoured Duo's mouth almost violently. He repeated Duo's move and bit Duo's lower lip and let it slide between his own teeth. Duo was driving him crazy and the man had just walked in to the office.

"Want me to tell you where he is the most sensitive?" Duo's voice was husky with passion and Wufei wanted nothing more than to slam that pretty body over his desk, rip down those expensive trousers and boxers and fuck him raw. He'd done it before, but that had been after hours when the building was nearly deserted. Now it was in the middle of the morning and with how loud Duo was when he was getting fucked, Wufei couldn't risk it. He thought about gagging that beautiful mouth, but hearing the cries and the begging was half the fun.

"Well? Do you?"

"Duo!" Wufei begged. In fifteen minutes the meeting would start and he was as rock hard as he'd ever been.

Duo licked at Wufei's face but wouldn't let Wufei kiss him again.

Wufei growled and pulled the playful man to him tight and devoured the mouth that haunted his every lustful dream.

Duo wiggled free and slid down to his knees. "I guess I'll just have to show you where he is most sensitive."

Wufei's cock jumped and Duo purred hungrily at the big meat trapped under the wool blend. He bit at the fat organ and Wufei's breath hissed out in one quick sigh.

"You're so big, Wufei. I think that people who say they aren't into big dicks are liars. I for one love yours. So fat…so thick…so long." Between every adoring description Duo bit his way to the fat, mushroom head that was beginning to leak under all the clothes. "I can't believe this even fits inside me…oh God, I've missed being fucked by it."

It had been a long week. Separated for a week by a case was nearly too long for both of them. Duo pulled the huge cock out of its confines and moaned. It did look too big to fit into anyone's body. "God, that should kill me instead of making me feel so good. It doesn't look possible."

"Oh, well it very nearly isn't, Duo."

Duo nodded, it did take some doing to get that enormous, fat cock inside him, but oh gods once it was there and pounding in and out…it was heaven. He licked the sensitive head and Wufei groaned. "One sensitive spot."

"Duo, baby, the meeting." Wufei was entranced by the sight of that beautiful face so close to his cock. Those plump, cock-sucking lips parted around his head, that pink tongue lapping like a kitten's.

Duo took pity on his lover and opened his mouth wide. He could barely fit the large head in his mouth, but once there his tongue swirled madly about the slippery apple sized head. His fist claimed the shaft and he squeezed and pumped it. He had nearly died when he'd seen this magnificent cock, four months ago when he and Wufei had become lovers. His first words had been, "Why the Hell are you a Preventer and not making millions as a porn star?" Wufei had laughed and told him to stop being such a pain in the ass. That had led to Duo's obvious crack about what would _really_ be a pain in the ass. But for all Wufei's size and his intimidating physical strength, he was incredibly gentle and he had made sure that Duo's pleasure was attended to over and over during that long night, before he had ever tried to work that baton inside Duo.

Duo slurped hungrily on that baton and he whimpered at the sweet taste of precum. His second hand rolled Wufei's balls around and felt them tighten just seconds before Wufei came with a strangled, quiet cry. Duo greedily swallowed and only a small bit of semen escaped to drool out, hotly on his red, swollen lips.

Wufei stared down as Duo stared up. Wufei's thighs were shaking with the effort of standing and with the sheer pleasure that had been sucked out of him. He groaned as Duo licked the hot semen off his puffy lips and then kissed the tip of Wufei's softening cock. He nibbled and licked at the slit, cleaning every last drop of cum from Wufei's cock. Wufei drew Duo up and kissed him passionately, tasting his own semen on the hot, wet tongue. They both shook and Wufei felt Duo's erection against his hip.

"Baby, what about you?"

Duo grinned and said, "You'll take care of me tonight. I wanted to take the edge off you, so you can make me scream…and beg."

Wufei grinned and kissed those ripe lips again. "You are such a little slut, did you know that?"

Duo pulled away with a small grin. "You love that I'm a slut."

"I love that you're _my_ slut," Wufei growled possessively. "I'd kill you if you cheated on me."

Duo sobered with a small, nervous smile. He'd never cheat on Wufei, but the man was extremely possessive. His possessiveness wasn't to a frightening level, was in fact rather sexy most of the time, but Duo shuddered to think of what the man would do if he even _thought_ Duo had cheated. He had fucked Duo over his desk, hard and fast, making Duo say his name over and over after he had thought Duo had been flirting with another agent during a meeting. Duo had been so turned on he had come twice, sobbing his lover's name. Wufei had been so tender afterwards and Duo had decided then and there to force himself to flirt with others every now and again to experience that type of raw, powerful sex.

"I need to straighten up…so do you. The meeting is about to start," Duo teased and went toward the bathroom.

Wufei followed and slapped the tempting round ass. "So you want to be tormented tonight huh?" He knew that what Duo wanted was to be teased and pleasured until he screamed, and still to be teased even more. The vision of his beautiful lover writhing in passion and begging to be fucked threatened to reawaken his sated organ.

Duo moaned, "Yeah, I want you to make me beg for it."

Wufei groaned and hurriedly washed up, and tucked his cock away. "Get cleaned up, baby."

Duo was breathless imaging the things Wufei would do to him. God he loved the big man. But even if he didn't love the man, he would crave the sex. Put plainly, Wufei was the best fuck he had ever had. He knew where to touch him to drive him wild. Duo shivered remembering the time that Wufei had spent two full hours just rimming and licking at his anus. That particular intimacy seemed to be one of Wufei's favorite things. And that was more than fine with Duo who loved what that tongue did to him.

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The meeting droned on and Quatre was tapping his pen lightly on the side of his notepad. Duo grinned at him. He wrote on his pad, "Can I interest you in pizza for lunch?"

A small smile curved Quatre's lips. He shook his head slightly.

He wrote, "No? Okay…chili dog?"

Quatre rolled his eyes and shook his head again.

Duo slid back and grinned, he reached over to write another tempting offer when he caught Wufei's look. Wufei was not quite convinced that their relationship was platonic, and his considering stare masked jealousy that he didn't dare show Duo.

Duo cleared his throat and whispered, "Tacos"

"Shh!" Quatre admonished.

"And that brings us to this latest case. Agent Duo, you may find this more interesting than your partner," Wufei growled.

Duo flushed and sat up straighter as the rest of the agents snickered.

Wufei perused the case file again, and regretted that he had even brought it up. It had only been a way to show Duo that he didn't appreciate the little flirting games he played with Quatre. But as he looked even closer at the case file he knew Duo would latch on to it and that would mean Duo would be going away again. He cleared his throat. "Lady Une in Raleigh-Durham is asking for some assistance on an on-going case." He looked at his lover, and saw that he was still flushed. "There has been a series of…occult style murders…south of Raleigh-Durham. The murders have occurred near Cape Fear River in a small town…Cape Town. Over the last thirteen months there have been twenty-one murders…each one ritualistic except for the last three which took place a week ago in an old Plantation House."

"Excuse me, Sir, but what do you mean by 'occult style?'" Duo leaned forward eagerly, his amethyst eyes alight with interest.

"I believe, agent Duo that he was referring to the ritualistic drawings found on the bodies, the missing body parts…"

"I bet she requested ole loudmouth himself," agent Thomas quipped.

There was general chuckling and Duo tightened his lips.

Wufei glowered at the weasly agent and said, "Lady Une requested agent Duo personally, as did several others this month." His point was clear and all the agents in the room got it. No one in the higher-ups had ever requested any of them personally and they were working in violent crimes. They were the crème de la crème and still Duo out-shone them.

Agent Stark who had a secret, and illicit desire to show Loudmouth some really hot times in that little basement, leaned over and whispered in the beautiful man's ear, "I wish I could go with you on this one…that's beautiful country."

Duo turned to the stocky man and gave him a small, distracted smile.

Agent Stark wanted to wet his lips, but didn't. Would Loudmouth like being fucked, or would he struggle and cry out for help? These were the questions that drove agent Stark crazy. That profile, those puffy lips, that pretty braid…he'd probably like it, but pretend to struggle. He didn't realize that he was staring with abject lust at Duo until a harsh throat clearing from the terrifying Chang startled him out of his fantasies and he turned to see the most ferocious look on the man's face.

"May I see the file, Sir?" Duo asked and Wufei promptly passed it to him. Duo opened it and placed it between he and Quatre so they both could look at the contents.

"The three last victims…they weren't killed in the same way…or by the same killer, but they are related," Duo mused after looking at the photographs for less than a minute.

Wufei felt the hairs rise up on the back of his neck, and he saw the same look of awe and fear on the other agents face, save for Quatre's…he was used to Duo's brilliance. It was frightening. And he was almost always right.

"The last three…they were personal…the first…they were rituals…strangers." Duo looked at Wufei. "I'll need some time to come up with a profile, but I would like to go down there."

Wufei nodded brusquely, "You can leave tonight."

Duo flushed, he didn't want to leave tonight; he wanted to spend tonight with his surly lover. "If you don't mind, Sir, I would rather leave tomorrow morning. I just got back from Washington and I need to get some sleep."

Quatre seconded that and Wufei quite happily agreed, though he wasn't sure how much sleep his sweet agent would be getting.

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"Oh please tell me that I am dreaming!" Quatre plopped down in his chair and glared at Duo.

He grinned. "Sorry, Quatre. It looks like we are off again tomorrow."

Quatre shook his head. "We still have all these reports to do."

Duo smiled. "Why don't you take them home…now…and work on them from there." At Quatre's look of surprise he said, "I'll start profiling this case, so we can wrap it up quickly."

Quatre grumbled but gathered all the necessary forms and left.

Duo found himself staring at the picture of the mansion. Khushrenada. Was that a coincidence? Something about the building, the structure, the weeping willows struck a chord in Duo and he stared hard. The deep blue of the sky reminded him of Heero's eyes. He cursed himself. Why did he think of that man? Why did the image of those beautiful eyes haunt him? He hated the man, hated what he did, but there was something, had always been something that had drawn him to the Japanese man. Those brief, passionate nights, the instant lust, and the feeling of something precious lost when he had disappeared.

He shook his head and with little effort he concentrated on his case. Cape Fear River ran nearly the length of the state and bordered some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the region. The Khushrenada Plantation, however, had not produced a crop in over one hundred years. How it had remained such a lavish estate without being productive sparked a small bit of research. Duo found that the wealth of the family had sustained the plantation…that one of the European branches of the family had kept the estate up, and thereafter the people of the village had taken care of the estate. Pictures of the caretakers dated back to the early 1800's and they were distinctly Slavic looking. Gypsies by the look of them. Colorful clothing and golden earrings. He felt uncomfortable after a bit, as if someone had walked over his grave.

The Plantation House had been occupied several times over the last century, and always the occupants either disappeared or where found in the house, slaughtered. It had the reputation in the region of being an evil place, a classic haunted house.

"Work, work, work, agent Duo," agent Stark said from the doorway.

Duo looked up, surprised. Agent Stark had been down here before but never had he stayed to talk. He had always just looked at Quatre and gone on his way.

"Quatre is gone for the day," Duo said tiredly.

Stark smiled and sauntered into the room. "Oh?"

Duo raised a brow. "Can I help you?"

Oh yeah you can help me. Stark thought. Take off your clothes and spread your legs. "Just wanted to say I hope you enjoy Cape Fear River. It's a lovely spot."

Duo tilted his head, "Oh? Well thank you. I am sure I won't…there's the matter of the murders."

Stark loved watching Duo speak. Those lips were made to suck cock, so hot, so full. "I wondered if maybe…"

"If maybe what, agent Stark?"

Both Duo and Stark turned to Wufei in the doorway.

"Just…just if he needed any help, Sir," Stark stuttered.

Wufei just stared at the man until Stark slinked out of the office.

"Where's Quatre?" Wufei barked. He hated when other men panted after Duo. It was hell, because Duo never saw it. Stark was even obviously hard and Duo had no clue that the man wanted to jump him.

"He went home with the paperwork."

"Well, meet me at my place in two hours. I am not going to wait for tonight," Wufei growled.

Duo flushed. He nodded obediently, eagerly.

Wufei turned to find Stark lingering near the elevator and he wanted to slam the man against the wall and inflict damage. Instead he turned his fierce gaze on the man. "Is it that you have nothing to do, that you linger down here? If that is the case…follow me. I have plenty for you to do."

"Oh no, it's just that, Duo and I are friends, and he was going to tell me some things…personal things."

Wufei glared at the lying bastard. "Agent Stark, I am going to tell you this once. I am not a fool. If you sexually harass this man, I will personally see to it that you are driven out of the FBI...is that understood?"

Stark nodded, shocked that his sly intentions were so visible. "I would never… I am straight…"

"Save it." Wufei said no more but made sure the man got on the elevator, and glowered at the bastard the entire silent ride.

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**Wufei's Place  
12:30 PM**

"Are you going to stay dressed all night?"

Duo smiled, and closed the door. "I was wondering why you were letting me stay dressed all these seconds."

Wufei slammed Duo against the door. And began to pull at the irritating clothes. Within seconds Duo was nude and shaking already with anticipation of what his lover would do to him.

Wufei grabbed the small, sexy body to him and easily threw Duo over his shoulder and took him up the stairs. He threw Duo down on the bed and Duo grinned.

"You're so butch, baby."

Wufei smiled, "Turn over and spread your legs."

Duo sobered and flushed with passion. He turned over on his stomach and spread his legs wide.

"Raise your hips."

Duo complied and Wufei placed several pillows beneath Duo's hips to keep Duo's hips high.

Duo waited for only a few seconds before his ass cheeks were spread wide and a hot tongue laved up an down the sensitive skin of his most tender places. He groaned as Wufei's tongue began its skilled attack. It flicked, and dipped, teeth nibbled and scraped, and Duo became a shivering mass of need.

Wufei loved the taste of Duo and the way Duo responded. At first Duo would pump his ass gently, pleasured by the tongue and teeth, but eventually he would need more. Wufei would simply tongue the prostate from the outside and then Duo would beg for a true fuck. Wufei wanted to do him immediately, but he knew his lover. He knew Duo loved the tease. Normally he would make his sweet lover wait and beg for hours, but for some reason he needed to be inside Duo.

He slicked his large cock up and pressed it to the slick, pink anus. Duo gasped in pleasure and he pumped his hips, "Oh yeah, Fei, fuck me."

Wufei groaned and complied. It took several minutes just to get the big head inside the tight body and then after that initial penetration, Wufei began the slow easy fuck he had to use. Once Duo's body had remembered its lover he began to drive in and out with hot determination. Duo squirmed beneath him, his pink flesh spread tight and his head, free of its braid, tossing on the one pillow that wasn't pressed to his throbbing cock.

Duo came screaming Wufei's name, and Wufei let himself go. He wanted to hold on to the feeling of pleasure, of possession, but it lasted only a few moments and then he stilled, his cock still deep inside the tight, velvet sheath.

It wasn't until later that Duo roused himself enough to say, "And you send me away again?"

"I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say?" Wufei asked.

Duo snuggled up against Wufei with a satisfied sigh. "You couldn't tease me for long tonight."

"No."

"I'm glad. I needed you."

"I love you."

Duo turned with a happy sigh and kissed Wufei's lips. "Oh, Wufei, I love you so much."

"Take care of yourself on this assignment. I have a bad feeling."

Duo nodded. "I have a bad feeling, too."

Wufei nearly choked. If they both had a feeling, than why was he sending his lover? This man, so sinfully beautiful, and so gifted, he was not expendable.

Duo slept then in the strong, possessive arms of his lover. In the night he dreamed of prussian eyes and chocolate hair…and he ran in fear from them, even as his heart cried out to be with the lovely man who wore them, to know his love and to know the pleasure of his touch.

Wufei woke briefly as Duo cried out in his sleep. He tightened his grip and soothed his lover until Duo stilled again. One day Duo would tell him what his dreams were about, and why he sometimes cried out in his sleep, "No, no Hiro…I can't!" He kissed the sweet, tempting lips and wished Duo would never have to leave him again.

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Wufei turned and squinted through heavy lids at the clock, damn, seven o'clock. He didn't want to wake his lover who was peacefully sleeping with his head resting on his broad chest. Duo's warm breath caressed his nipple and a small amount drool had escaped those perfect lips dampening his chest. Wufei ran his fingers through Duo's long silken, chestnut locks, watching him with love and undisguised affection. Duo was at his absolute cutest when he slept. He wondered what agent Stark would say if he saw Duo now? In his arms. /Personal note. Transfer agent Stark to the Bismarck, North Dakota field office and partner him with Tom Colton/ Wufei smiled at the thought, he would never do it, but sometimes it was nice to dream.

Duo stirred. "Morning," he mumbled, lifting his head he followed it with a quick, "Sorry." As he wiped at the drool on the larger man's chest.

Wufei chuckled at the embarrassed flush on Duo's face. "No problem, Duo. We need to take a shower any ways," he said, pulling him into a brief kiss. "And to brush our teeth," he grimaced.

"God, what time is it?" Duo groaned, lowering his head back down on Wufei's chest, and fitting his small body against the pleasant warmth of the larger man. His leg was thrown over Wufei's, and his penis was pressed against his lover's hip.

"A little past seven," Wufei said, rubbing Duo's back.

"Shit!" Duo said, leaping out of bed. "My plane leaves at nine o'clock, and I still need to go home to pack." He looked around for his clothes, spinning around in panicked circles.

"Your clothes are still downstairs next to the front door," Wufei chuckled, climbing out of bed.

Duo gave him a slow smile, "Oh yeah, right, Caveman."

"You know it drives me wild when you smile like that, don't you?" Wufei growled, pulling Duo into his arms he devoured his mouth, morning breath and all.

Duo grinned against his lips. "I'm finding that a lot of things drive you wild, Wufei. If I ever piss you off I'm planning to use them all on you. So be warned."

Wufei swatted the younger man playfully on the ass. "Brat! So is that what you do to Quatre?"

"What?" Duo asked, confused.

"He never stays pissed at you for long, even after all the times you've ditched him. I figure you must be doing something to placate him," Wufei quipped, but he really wanted to get a feel for how deep his lover's feelings ran for Quatre Winner.

"Wufei, you're not jealous of the relationship I have with Quatre are you?" Duo asked, seeing right through Wufei's casual question.

Wufei sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Duo, I wonder sometimes what someone as drop dead gorgeous as you would want with a stubborn, surly, paper pusher when you have a beautiful partner there for the asking."

"Come here." Duo grabbed his lover's hands and dragged him in front of the full-length mirror. Standing behind Wufei, he ran his hands down the large man's bulging biceps then over his muscular pecs and flat abs, stopping to grasp the large penis. His fingers didn't come close to circling its girth. "This isn't the body of a mere paper pusher," he said, kissing the side of Wufei's jaw. "I've never been with a man who was better built than you, Wufei. Or one that was more endowed. But even so, I'm not with you for your incredible body, but the intelligent, witty man inside. I look forward to the time we spend just being alone together."

Duo turned Wufei around to face him and leveled him with an intense look. "Now I will only say this once. I love Quatre Winner. He means more to me than anyone else in my life with the exception of you. But I love him as a friend, a brother, not as a lover. Quatre knows that, and for your information he would shoot you if he ever heard that _there for the asking_ comment. You are my lover, Chang Wufei. Wufei, not Quatre. Is that clear?"

"Very. I'm a complete ass, aren't I?" Wufei smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, but you're my complete ass." Duo squeezed Wufei's butt affectionately and Wufei hugged him tightly until Duo pushed him away. "Now let me go. I need to get dressed," Duo said, turning for the doorway.

"Why don't you at least take a shower first? I'll retrieve your clothes from downstairs and make a pot of coffee. You're going to have to take one at your place any ways, you can't go to the airport smelling like you do," Wufei said, pulling on his robe.

Duo smiled brightly and headed toward the bathroom. "Thanks, Wufei."

Fifteen minutes later Duo was pulling on his wrinkled suit and pocketing his blue tie. He headed downstairs and Wufei handed him a covered mug.

"For the road," Wufei said.

"Thanks. You're spoiling me." Duo took a tentative sip at the hot coffee.

"Duo, I want you to call me twice a day from North Carolina, is that clear?" The bad feeling Wufei had had was only getting worse, he wanted to clear his calendar and go down to the Raleigh-Durham field office with his lover. If he could only figure out a way to explain why he was accompanying an agent on a case.

"Yes, Wufei. Don't worry, Quatre is very good at watching my back," he said, kissing Wufei quickly.

"That's suppose to comfort me? Duo, between the two of you I'm not sure which one has been injured or kidnapped more often," Wufei growled.

"It's a draw, Quatre's been kidnapped more and I've been injured more," Duo quipped, smiling back at the man standing scowling in the doorway, his smile slipped slightly, and he mouthed 'I love you' before stepping on the elevator.

Wufei's heart sank as he watched the elevator doors slid shut; he slowly closed the door to his apartment.

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**Raleigh-Durham Field Office **

Lady Une walked briskly across the room with her hand held out. "Duo, it is nice to see you again."

Duo smiled, shaking her hand. "It been a long time, Une. This is my partner Quatre Winner."

Quatre had entered the room ahead of Duo, but had been subsequently ignored until the introduction.

"Ah yes, Agent Quatre, I've heard a lot about you," Lady Une said, shaking Quatre's hand. "Thank you both for coming down. Duo, I know you haven't been profiling for several years, but we could really use your expertise on this one. Now that the killings have started up again, it has the local townsfolk in Cape Town afraid to leave their homes," she rambled, guiding the two agents into a spare office she had set aside for their use.

"What do you mean _again_, Lady Une?" Quatre asked.

"Une," Lady Une corrected, indicating the high stack of file folders, some of which looked decades old. "The MO is the same as these other cases. The killings start up every twenty years then end after a year."

"This wasn't in the case file that was sent up to Headquarters," Duo said, shuffling through the stack.

"Agent Ed Swift made the connection yesterday. The people in Cape Town are pretty tight lipped, but Ed was able to get one of the residents talking. He's going to assist you on the case. Ed is from that part of the state," Lady Une replied, going to the doorway she motioned to someone across the bullpen.

A tall young African-American male stepped into the room. "Ma'am?"

"Ed, these are Agents Duo and Quatre," Morgan introduced.

A smile lit up Swift's handsome face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Duo. I've followed your career since I was in the academy," he said in awe, shaking Duo's hand firmly. "Agent Quatre, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, too. I envy you, it must be fascinating working with Agent Duo."

Quatre raised a delicate eyebrow. It sounded like Duo had a fan club in this office, unlike Headquarters where he was usually viewed as a joke until someone needed him. "Yes, working with Agent Duo is far from boring," he replied.

"Agent Swift, we would like to head out to Cape Town today and view the crime scenes," Duo said, looking up briefly as he read the oldest file in the stack, it was from 1939.

"Please, call me Ed. I can take you out there right now. It's only an hour and twenty-minute drive from here, we can discuss the case on the way," he said excitedly, thrilled at the opportunity to work with the Preventer legend.

Duo collected several folders to study on their way out to Cape Town. "Thanks, Une, we'll be in touch," he said as they followed Agent Swift out the door. "Ed, have you checked the newspaper archives for any stories that might match the MO prior to 1939?"

"Not yet, Agent Duo, I was going to today. According to my source these killings have been going on since 1839. The hard part will be determining what is factual and what are only myths and ghost stories. That area of the state is ripe with wild tales of witches, black magic, ghosts, and curses. The stories have been passed down for generations," Swift said, opening the car doors for the two agents.

Quatre climbed in the front seat, leaving Duo and his folders to spread out in back.

"What no vampires?" Quatre quipped.

"Hey, Quatre, we've done vampires, but we have never investigated witches before," Duo teased from the backseat while rolling down his window to relieve the sweltering heat from within the car. He had already shrugged out of his suit coat.

"Really? Vampires! Cool!" Swift exclaimed starting the car, he couldn't wait to hear more. "Where did you run into vampires?"

Quatre rolled her eyes. "Ed, don't encourage him."

Duo snickered at Quatre's disgust. He was flattered by Ed's interest; he hardly ever met a fellow agent who was genuinely intrigued by his cases. Except Heero, he thought sadly then quickly pulled his thoughts away from that minefield.

"Lady Une said you are from the area near Cape Town can you tell me what you know of the Khushrenada Plantation?"

"I lived in the next town over. The plantation is suppose to be haunted and cursed, most sane people know enough to stay away from it. Except the Yui family they are the caretakers of the plantation. They have been for over a hundred years. I went to high school with one of them. Dmitry. He's the sheriff of Cape Town now," Swift said.

"Yuy family? How do you spell that?" Duo asked turning pale he felt his stomach flutter.

Swift noticed the shocked look on Duo's face through the rearview mirror. "Y-U-I. Why?" he asked.

"The last name of my former partner in the Preventers was Yuy. But he spelled it differently," Duo said, relaxing slightly. "The Yui family are gypsies aren't they?" Duo recalled the old photographs of the caretakers he had seen in the case file.

"Their ancestors were, but the current Yui are all upstanding citizens in Cape Town and Sexton," the young agent replied, changing lanes and speeding pass two slow moving trucks. "Not that gypsies can't be upstanding…I just mean they don't wander…like the typical…they are part of the community," he added quickly.

"You said they were caretakers for the Khushrenada plantation for over a century. Why didn't they buy the plantation? And who were the new owners?" Quatre asked intrigued.

Swift glanced briefly over at him, then returned his refocus on the road and said, "From what I've heard the deed for the plantation was always in the Khushrenada family and they won't sell it. The plantation had been rented over the years, but the renters always fled or disappeared, and there were six unsolved murders at the manor house over the decades, but nothing recently, until now. In fact, no one except the caretakers lived there since the 1940s. The new owners were … "

"Jason Khushrenada and his wife Bridget from Liverpool, England," Duo filled in quickly pulling the names from his memory. "They were going to turn the manor house into a Bed and Breakfast, but it appears they ran into problems with the resident spook and hired a medium to evict it."

"Yeah, that must have pissed the ghost off," Swift said.

Quatre snorted in disgust. He had enough problems with Duo always taking the supernatural slant on investigations _now_ he had two of them. "Well it seems rather obvious. The Yui wanted the plantation, but the Khushrenada family wouldn't sell it. So they murder Jason and Bridget Khushrenada out of greed," Quatre reasoned.

"That doesn't make sense. The plantation is still in the Khushrenada family. If they killed them, they accomplished nothing," Duo reasoned.

"Do you have a better explanation?" Quatre asked.

"Not one that I'm willing to put forward at this time," Duo replied as he opened one of the file folders and leaned back in the seat to read for the rest of the trip.

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**Cape Town  
Sheriff's Office  
**

"What's wrong, Dmitry?" Deputy Boris Paiva asked the young Sheriff whose face had turned a sickly shade of gray.

Sheriff Dmitry Yui looked up from the computer monitor and met his cousin's dark eyes. "The Preventers are sending two of their agents from headquarters to assist in the investigation of the killings at the manor house and the occult killings. I was curious as to their capabilities so I hacked into the bureau's mainframe and downloaded their personnel files."

"Are you nuts? What do you want to do get arrested?" Paiva snapped.

"Boris, it's not likely that I will be caught. I know a hundred times more about computers than the Preventer's best programmers.

"Even so, Dmitry, it is still incredibly dangerous, not to mention stupid. Okay, what did you find?"

Yui turned the monitor so his cousin could get a good look at it.

"Holy shit!" Paiva gasped.

"Remarkable resemblance isn't it, and check out his name," Yui encouraged.

"Duo Maxwell. His first name is really Duo? Do you think it's him?" Paiva asked.

"Who else can it be? His face matches the portrait in the manor house, and how many people do you know whose first name is Duo? You should read his personnel file. It appears he is the Preventer's bad boy, I've never seen so many reprimands, or, for that matter, a higher rate of cases solved. The man is a fucking genius!" Yui exclaimed his blue eyes flashing with delight.

Paiva threw cold water on his excitement. "What do you want to do? If he goes to the manor house he will end up dead."

"We have time. He can't be killed until the next full moon and that is on the twenty-six, three weeks away. Boris, if he dies, it will end the curse and free us of our responsibility to this town and the plantation. Isn't that what we want?" Yui asked, closing the file and shutting down the computer.

"I don't want his blood on my hands, Dmitry. There has to be another way! Too many innocent people have died because of this damn curse. Those who were guilty died a hundred and seventy-seven years ago."

"Boris, we'll ask the others what they want. We'll leave it up to a vote." Yui stood, putting on his sheriff's hat. "I'm going over to the diner for lunch. Man the station until I get back." His pale blue shirt was pulled taut over his muscular chest as he sauntered out of the station.

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They were driving alongside Cape Fear River when Duo, who had been engrossed in his files, happened to look up. "Stop!" he yelled.

Quatre started and Swift immediately pulled the car to the side of the road.

Duo stumbled out and made his way to the riverbank. He stood staring at a patch of earth near the seductive, slow water.

Swift raised a dark brow and Quatre shrugged. After several moments of silence Quatre made his way to his partner. He was stricken by his lost look, the look of sadness on his face. "Duo? What is it?"

He turned to the cleansing water and shook his head, "I don't know…it's…" He stared at the soft, grass covered soil and he wanted to touch it, smell it. Something about the spot…something familiar, though he'd never before stood on the banks of Cape Fear River.

"C'mon, Duo. Let's go."

He nodded and followed Quatre back to the car.

Agent Swift looked to Quatre for direction, knowing somehow that Duo was lost in his own thoughts.

Quatre ignored the young agent's curious looks and opted to act as if nothing was amiss with his partner.

After driving in silence for another ten minutes, Swift suggested they stop at a local diner to refresh themselves. They swung away from the road that would have brought them to the Khushrenada Plantation in a natural route by the river, and headed west toward the center of town.

Quatre and Swift entered before Duo and he immediately saw the man who, for an instant, looked just like Heero. Quatre started to draw his gun and send the man to his maker, when she realized that it was just a man who resembled him greatly. The man was staring at him suddenly, warily, as if he knew Quatre had reacted to him strongly.

Swift bent to the petite man, "Is there something wrong?"

Quatre shook his head and after one last look at the dark-haired officer, made his way to the men's room.

Swift nodded at Dmitry and the sheriff nodded back, the gesture rather cool considering their history, and their ties of loyalty to this town. Suddenly the young man's face paled and a strange look of excited fear crept over his angular features. Swift turned to see what had caused the man to go pale and he saw Duo Maxwell. Duo still looked somewhat dazed, his large, amethyst eyes wide and somehow innocent.

Swift turned to look again at Sheriff Yui, and he frowned, the man was smiling now, like a man who had seen something he had never expected to see. Swift thought of his little girl, Bria, who had woken him one night to tell him she had seen Santa, and the look of delight was the same, only on the sheriff it was less innocent and more secretive.

Duo made his way to a table near the sheriff and when he looked up and saw the man, he gave an audible gasp, "Heero." His voice was, for a moment, filled with tenderness.

Th sheriff paled even further. "Hiro? Did you call me… never mind I know that you did. So it begins."

Duo quickly realized that the man was not his handsome, ex-partner, but still the words the man spoke, struck him, and he wondered, silently, what was beginning. He stared intently at the man who was, on closer inspection, not nearly as perfect...or as pretty as his ex-partner. Had he been that man…Duo would have felt very happy to shoot him…at least he assured himself that that was what he would do. Leaving him for that pink harpy……

"I'm sorry, you look a lot like someone I used to be partners with." Duo was embarrassed by what he perceived to have been a passionate declaration, the way he had gasped the hated name. Which, in itself, made no sense. He had only a few passionate moments with Heero and not one equaled the pleasure he had with Wufei. It was crazy.

"No problem. I am Sheriff Dmitry Yui. And you are?"

Duo paled even more, his lips a splash of color on his face. "Maxwell, Agent Duo Maxwell…Sheriff Yui."

"Ah, you are here to solve the murders…I can assure you, I will appreciate all the help I can get"

Duo nodded, a flush of color staining his face so prettily that Dmitry understood finally, why his ancestor had been so obsessed. He watched the full lips in motion and the heavy sweep of lash that alternately revealed and hid, sparkling, mischievous purple eyes. Had he the courage he would have tried to invite himself into the sensual man's bed.

"I think we should go to the Plantation House…as soon as possible, Agent Maxwell." He regretted that this beauty would have to die, but his ancestor would never rest without his return, and without the return the deaths would continue…and the need to commit them would always be on his family's shoulders.

Duo nodded eagerly. "I want to get on this as soon as possible."

Dmitry nodded and watched those seductive lips move. He could watch that mouth forever, he could imagine it on his cock. Like many of the males in his family he was at ease with the joys of sex with men as well as with women. That too was their legacy. "I'll take you…there...take you there."

Duo looked up and tilted his head adorably. He smiled gently. "You needn't worry about that, Sher-"

"Dmitry."

Duo seemed surprised. "Oh. Okay, Dmitry. I have a ride."

"I know. Ed right? We grew up together…I know we don't look it, but we're family."

Duo looked shocked and then he grinned. "Typical. I can never have just a normal…no surprises day."

Dmitry smiled at him. "C'mon I want to take you there."

Duo nodded. "I can understand. If this were my town I would want these killings to end too."

Dmitry smiled slowly. "I do want them to stop, Agent Maxwell. I really think…no _believe_ that you will be able to stop them."

"He too has heard of your excellent field work, Agent Maxwell," Agent Swift added quickly as he came up quietly.

Duo blushed a bit and said. "I am going to the plantation with Dmitry."

Swift pursed his lips and stared at Dmitry, "Oh? Is that wise, Dmitry? I mean, shouldn't Duo focus on the _other_ crime scenes?"

Dmitry gave Swift a heavy stare. "It's up to him."

Duo stood. "I would like to go now. I feel that the Plantation will be the best starting point."

Swift was left to explain to Quatre where his errant partner had gone.

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The plantation was surprisingly verdant, for one that would not grow lucrative crops. The stables were empty now, but Duo could picture the horses being taken out for their grooming and the elaborate shows, the hunters and the jumpers. The Khushrenadas always had the finest horseflesh. He didn't question why he knew that little bit of knowledge; he simply stepped out of the car and made his way to the Plantation House, the scene of so much death over the last century.

He paused outside the doorway and jumped a bit as he felt Dmitry's hand on his elbow.

"C'mon, you have to see the inside."

Duo nodded and walked into the well-kept mansion. He felt dizzy for a moment and he had to lean against the doors. He looked around and tired to keep his composure as a feeling of dread overcame him. As if something was rushing toward him from someplace far away, a distance not measured in miles…someplace dark and cold. All he wanted to do was run, but instead he looked around the plush interior, hiding his fear with a sarcastic wolf whistle, "This is something."

"The only way to really investigate this house…is the old fashioned way, I am afraid."

Duo looked at the sheriff's smiling face. "And that would be?"

"Staying the night…maybe several nights."

Duo forced a smile. "I'll try to convince, Quatre." At Dmitry's curious look, Duo smiled.

"My partner."

Dmitry nodded, "Just look around. I know you'll want to stay…it is a fascinating house."

Duo nodded his mind starting to wander. He could hear the delicate clinking of china and crystal, the soft sliding sounds of expensive fabric over lush, feminine curves, the smell of tea and cinnamon and fine tobacco burning in distant rooms. He tilted his head and concentrated, hearing the patois of imported slaves…imported from New Orleans for their beauty and grace…octoroons or at the very least quadroons, only the best for the house. He licked his lips and tasted the pungent flavor of capers, lemons and salmon…then the slight pop of Sevruga caviar and crisp, cold wine. Phantom music played on a harpsichord, the sound travelling to the foyer from a room further away than some satin and velvet parlor, but close for all that.

He came back to himself when a soft touch stroked his cheek and soothed him. He leaned into the loving caress and then his eyes stared wide at Dmitry standing a few feet from him, looking at him with utter curiosity and confusion as the Preventer Agent sighed with his face tilted into an invisible hand. Duo brought his head upright with a flush. The caress was gone but the feeling of comfort and love lingered near him. He straightened totally and cleared his throat, his eyes unconsciously wide and innocently beguiling.

Dmitry was unable to prevent himself from reaching out a hand to touch that lovely face. "What is it, Agent Maxwell?" He asked as his hand stroked the angle of Duo's jaw, resisting the sudden urge to thumb those plump lips.

Duo drew back in shock at the caress, and he looked at the deep-blue eyes so like his ex-partner. "I'm fine…really Sheriff."

Dmitry smiled again. "Yes, I know you are."

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**Preventer Headquarters  
**

Wufei Chang was looking over his files and frowning, his mind on his beautiful lover and all the reasons why he was needed in the nation's capital.

Suddenly, and without any announcement, Khushrenada walked into his office, a rose held securely in surprisingly agile fingers.

"Get Duo off this case immediately, Chang. This is not a request. Get him far away from Cape Fear."

Wufei frowned darkly at the man, "What are you talking about now? What makes you think you can tell me where to place my agents?"

Khushrenada leveled his intent gaze on the man behind the desk. "He shouldn't be there…I want him back here."

Wufei stood and walked to the tall, red haired man, with heavy, menacing steps.

Khushrenada gasped to find himself pulled forward by his cotton lapels and lifted easily from the floor. He stared into Wufei's burning black eyes and felt a flicker of fear.

"Let's get this straight, Khushrenada, I don't work for you …and I will _not_ stand by and let you play Duo like some valuable chess piece."

Khushrenada wanted to bring his rose up to his lips, but his position, dangling in Wufei's grip like a child's toy, forbade it.

"His life is in danger, Chang. He'll be killed if he stays…" He was cut off abruptly as he was shaken fiercely.

"You dirty bastard. If you are threatening him…"

"No, you fool! I am trying to save him. You know how valuable he is to us!"

Wufei released the man abruptly and stood back. "Talk to me."

"I can't say…" he scrambled back in a most inelegant move as Wufei made to descend on him again. "It has nothing to do with politics or schemes…just get him off that case and away from Cape Fear." With that Khushrenada quickly made his exit and Wufei let him go.

He buzzed his secretary, "Get me Lady Une on the line."

In a matter of minutes Wufei had instructed the Southern Preventer Building to get Duo to call in for a status report. Lady Une's surprise was genuine, as Duo had just arrived, but she quickly agreed. Wufei slammed the phone down and began to pace. If one hair was touched on Duo's head, he'd…he'd what? Kill the red haired bastard? Kill himself? He rubbed the bridge of his nose and waited for his lover to call.

After ten such minutes he demanded that Lady Une be called again.

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Quatre was steaming mad; that _SOB_ of a partner had ditched him again! When he got his hands on him, Duo was going to rue the day that he was ever born. Duo couldn't even wait long enough to eat lunch, before dashing off to a crime scene that was a week old. Quatre angrily stabbed at a cucumber slice in his salad and looked up, finding Agent Swift watching him.

His aquamarine eyes flashed dangerously, "This isn't the first time he's taken off without me. He will pay! Oh yes, he will pay big time. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but he will pay one way or another," he grumbled, popping the cucumber slice into his mouth.

Swift swallowed nervously, he did not ever want to be on this man's bad side. "I'm sure Duo didn't intentionally ditch you, Quatre. It probably didn't even occur to him that his heading out there with Sheriff Yui would upset you. I'm sure he just didn't want you to miss lunch."

"Duo knows very well how I feel, we've had this discussion on numerous occasions," Quatre snapped.

"Quatre, it probably slipped his mind, you know that most _geniuses_ are absent minded," Swift said, as he scooped up a forkful of mash potatoes.

"Duo is anything but absent minded! He is inconsiderate, headstrong, and self-absorbed, loudmouthed, but he is never absent-minded. The man has an eidetic memory for crying out loud," Quatre huffed.

He wasn't even sure why he was having this conversation with Agent Swift. Usually he never talked about his partner this way in front of other agents. However, Ed was a fan of Duo's unlike most other agents, with the exception of those that were constantly hitting on him like Agent Stark, and Duo being Duo was too oblivious to notice their overtures. He supposed that if Duo were gay he might have picked up on the obvious signals. She was interrupted from her contemplation by the ringing of Agent Swift's cell-phone.

"Special Agent Ed Swift speaking," he answered. He listened and looked over at her. "Agent Maxwell has gone out to the Khushrenada Plantation with the Cape Town Sheriff, but Agent Winner is here, sir," he said. "Okay, sure, I'll tell him."

Swift disconnected, looking at Quatre, he informed him, " Director Wufei Chang called Lady Une. He wants Agent Maxwell to call him immediately and report on the status of the investigation. Lady Une said the second time he called, he sounded sort of angry. Don't either of you carry your cell phones?"

"Damn, neither one of us has our cell phones with us. Duo forgot his, as he was in a rush to get to the airport, and mine was damaged on our last case two days ago. I haven't had the opportunity to replace it, yet." Quatre set his fork down and pushed his remaining salad away. "I better call Wufei, he can be really ornery if kept waiting. May I use your phone?"

"Sure, Quatre," he replied in awe. /Wow, to report directly to a Director, Duo was even more important than he had thought./

"Sir, it's Agent Winner," he said.

"Agent Winner, I want to talk to Agent Maxwell, please put him on the line," Wufei said hastily. He pushed the remains of several pencils out of the way that he had snapped them in two, while he impatiently waited for Duo's telephone call.

Quatre thought he sounded anxious and upset. "Wufei, is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Quatre, no there isn't, please let me talk to Duo," he growled.

"Ah, Duo isn't here right now. I can have him call you back when I see him," Quatre said weakly.

"Quatre, where is your partner?"

"He's at the old Khushrenada plantation with Sheriff Yui."

"Yuy!"

"Wufei, the name is spelled differently," he wasn't about to tell Wufei the strong resemblance between the Sheriff and Heero Yuy.

Wufei sighed, relieved it was not _that_ Yuy. The bastard was the last person he wanted around his lover. Duo had never said anything, but he sensed that he had had a sexual relationship with Yuy while they were partners. "Quatre, you're not with Duo because … what? You're involved in an interrogation? You're doing research for the case?"

"I'm not with him because . . ., " he wanted to say because Duo had ditched him, but he didn't want to get Duo in trouble. So instead he said, "I'm going through the local newspaper archives to see if we could tie in the murders with any cases prior to 1939."

"You have reason to believe that these cases weren't isolated and that someone has committed the same MO . . . over sixty years ago?" Wufei asked, and feeling the pounding of a headache growing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

"Yes, sir, Agent Ed Swift made the connection. He's tied the killings to as far back as 1939. We think they could go back even further, but that is as far as the Preventer files go."

"None of the bodies were missing their livers were they, Quatre?" he asked only half jokingly.

"No, Wufei. I don't see anything supernatural about these killings. I think it is over the property. The same family of caretakers has been looking after the estate for over one hundred years, but the Khushrenada family won't sell it to them. I think they have been trying to scare the family into selling," he reasoned.

"Does Duo share your assessment?"

"No . . . but he doesn't have a theory, yet," Quatre said.

"What is the caretaker's family name?" Wufei asked, grabbing a pen and a notepad. He couldn't go down to assist Duo personally, but at least he could help track down information on Quatre's prime suspects and see if they panned out. "Quatre, the name?"

Quatre's face had gone pale. "Its Yui, sir."

"The same as the Sheriff?" Wufei growled.

"Yes, sir. But that doesn't mean he's involved or even that the family is involved, it was only a theory on my part," he replied, as butterflies danced around in his stomach.

"Agent Winner, I want you to get out to the Khushrenada plantation immediately, and report back to me from there the moment you arrive!" he barked.

"Yes, sir. Agent Swift and I are leaving now," he said, disconnecting the phone and handing it back to Swift. "C'mon, Ed, we need to get out to the Khushrenada place and check on that wayward partner of mine," Quatre said and tossed some money on the table for his salad and ice tea.

**TBC…….**

**AN:** I made this chapter extra long to hold over for the next time. I'm going to explain the names to those who are confused. You've probably noticed Heero spelt as Hiro too. Or Yuy as Yui. I thought I did a good explanation in the story about the last names, but if your still confused about the first names then Hiro goes with Yui and Heero goes with Yuy. Everything else will be explained in do time. Oh ya, and the whole what's up with everyone hating Heero thing….I left one little itty bitty hint in the story, but if you didn't pick up on it then you'll understand as the story goes on. Otherwise, review please! I like attention and even though I'm slow, I really appreciate all of you who reviewed. Thanks much!


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